Saturday, March 15, 2014

Injury history of the deadline's traded players

A few huge moves were made at the NHL trade deadline. Below I'll list some of the major players traded their respective injury history so fans of the new player's team can understand what type of player they acquired and their accompanying injury history.

Note: Apologies for the changed format, around Ales Hemsky I decided to change the style from a timeline of injuries to categorizing them by amount of time missed.

I know....it still hurts me too.

MARCH 4 TRADES:
TO MONTREAL: MIKE WEAVER (FOR A 2015 5TH ROUND PICK)

Mike Weaver is a 35 year old defenseman that has played in 55 of 61 Panthers games this season and accumulated 6 assists in that time. Weaver has a 50.9% CF at 5on5, plays an average of 18:47 a night, and has 101 hits this season (second on the Panthers in hits per 60 min with 5.9). Weaver also was first on the Panthers in blocked shots with 5.5 per 60 minutes and averages 5.8 hits taken per 60 minutes. Weaver's last full regular season (82 games) was 2011-2012, he only played in 27 games in last year's lockout-shortened season. His injury history is as follows:

Missed 7 games with a foot injury in November of the 2005-2006 season.

Missed 6 games in January of the 2005-2006 season with a hip flexor injury.

Missed one game with a concussion in January 2013.

Missed 20 games in March/April 2013 with an undisclosed knee/lower-body injury.

Missed 4 games with the flu November 2013.

For an older defenseman that gets knocked around a bit, Weaver's NHL history is not that scary/worrisome. Should be a decent depth defenseman for the Habs as they head to the playoffs.

TO MINNESOTA: ILYA BRYZGALOV (FOR A 2014 4TH ROUND PICK)

Ilya Bryzgalov is a 33 year old goaltender that has played in 20 games this season and has a .908 SV% (.919 Even-strength SV%). Bryzgalov's injury history as a goaltender in the NHL is as folows:

Missed 4 games with a groin injury in November of the 2006-2007 season.

Missed 12 games with a groin injury in January of the 2006-2007 season.

Missed one game with a back injury in January of the 2008-2009 season.

Missed 5 games with an undisclosed upper-body injury in December of the 2010-2011 season.

Missed 3 games with a chip fracture in his right foot in April of the 2011-2012 season.

Missed 6 games with a concussion in December of this (2013-2014) season.

Bryzgalov's injury history is fairly normal for that of a modern butterfly-style NHL goaltender. The main areas of concern are the groin (which hasn't been injured since 2007, although it was injured twice in one season) and the concussion from this past January.

TO WASHINGTON: DUSTIN PENNER (FOR A 2014 4TH ROUND PICK)

Dustin Penner is a 31 year old left winger that is having his best season since 2010-2011 with 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points in 49 games played for the Anaheim Ducks. Penner had a 50.1% CF% at 5-on-5 for the Ducks with a 31.9% OZSt%. However many believed Penner benefited from playing on a line with the Ducks' dynamic duo of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. His injury history is as follows:

Missed 2 games with an undisclosed lower-body injury in October of the 2011-2012 season.

Missed 9 games with a hand injury (probably broken bone after blocking a shot) in November of the 2011-2012 season.

Missed one game with back spasms in January of the 2011-2012 season.

Missed 4 games with an undisclosed lower-body injury in April of the 2012-2013 season.

Missed 1 game earlier this season in October with an undisclosed lower-body injury.

Missed 5 games with a 'mild' concussion in October earlier this season.

Penner's injury history is not too bad considering his style of play. The only concern has to be the concussion he suffered earlier this season.

Fasth's second NHL season has been much more disappointing than his first. Fasth emerged last season with the Anaheim Ducks, playing in 25 games and accumulating a .921 SV% (.926 EV SV%) and 4 shutouts in his first NHL season. Fasth has only played in 5 games this season, however, as he's battled lower-body injuries.

2012-2013 NHL season: missed 2 games with an undisclosed upper-body injury in March and 1 game with an undisclosed lower-body injury in April.

2013-2014 season: Fasth missed 14 games with a lower-body injury in October-November of this season and after a conditioning stint, Fasth re-injured himself during pregame warmups, and missed and additional 38 games. Fasth has yet to start since November 18th, 2013.

The Oilers hope Fasth recovers from his lingering lower-body injury (reportedly a muscle inflammation) and re-gains his 2012-2013 form.

TO ANAHEIM: STEPHANE ROBIDAS (FOR A CONDITIONAL 2014 4TH ROUND PICK)

Robidas is a 37 year old defenseman that is currently shelved with a broken leg, a rare example of an injured player being traded. Robidas, in his 13th NHL season, has only played in 24 games this season, missing 38 games for the Stars since his last start, November 29th against the Blackhawks. With a long NHL career as a defenseman (871 GP), comes a long injury history:

Missed 2 games with a shoulder injury in December of the 2000-2001 season.

Missed the remainder (18 games) of the 2003-2004 regular season with a cheekbone injury that required surgery after taking a puck to the face.

Missed 7 games from March to April of the 2006-2007 season with a concussion.

Missed 3 games in December of 2008 with a broken jaw.

Missed last 7 games of the 2008-2009 regular season with an undisclosed lower-body injury.

Missed 6 games from December to January of the 2011-2012 season with a foot injury.

Current: 38+ games missed with a fractured right tibia.

Boy, that's a lot of facial/head injuries. The head is such a vulnerable area, it's always scary when a player gets injured there. Robidas should be able to recover from his broken leg after some conditioning and contribute as a depth defenseman for the Stanley Cup-hopeful Ducks.

Andrew MacDonald is a 27 year old defenseman in his 5th NHL season. During his time with the Islanders, MacDonald averaged 25:15 TOI/G, and had 24 points in 63 games (replaced the injured Visnovsky on PP1) and leads the league in block shots. However he also was an abysmal -19 and was quite the talk at the trade deadline of being a below-average defenseman. This post from Broadstreet Hockey shows why many fans were skeptical of trading for the cheap defenseman. Nonetheless, his injury history in his career is as follows:

Missed 12 games with a broken foot in March of the 2009-2010 season.

Missed 15 games with a fractured hand from October to December in the 2010-2011 season.

Missed last 7 regular season games with a hip injury in the 2010-2011 season.

Missed 7 games with a right leg injury in December of the 2011-2012 season.

Missed last 2 playoff games of 2013 with a broken hand.

That's a lot of broken bones. Additionally, MacDonald broke his jaw but did not miss any time. Given MacDonald's style of play (giving up a lot of shots and blocking a lot of them), it's not unusual that he's broken so many bones. Fortunately for Flyers fans, bones heal easily these days and despite his high minutes, MacDonald has a relatively small injury history. With that many minutes you always worry about fatigue leading to muscular injuries so it's good to see a different type of injury history with MacDonald.

TO FLORIDA: ROBERTO LUONGO (FOR JACOB MARKSTROM AND SHAWN MATTHIAS)

In one of the most shocking and unexpected deals of the deadline, Luongo was sent by the Canucks to his former team for Markstrom and Matthias. Luongo, 34 years old and in his 14th NHL season, is an elite goaltender in the NHL, playing in 43 games this season and accumulating a .919 SV% (.923 EV SV%). His injury history is as follows:

Missed 4 games with a lacerated right forearm in October of the 2001-2002 season.

Missed the remained of the 2001-2002 season (13 games) with a sprained right ankle.

Missed 3 games with a back injury in November of 2002.

Missed one game with a knee injury in March 2003.

Missed 3 games with a rib injury in December 2007.

Missed 24 games from November to January of the 2008-2009 season with a groin injury.

Missed 6 games with fractured ribs in November 2009.

Missed 2 games with an undisclosed upper-body injury in November 2011.

Missed 3 games with an injured groin from December to January of the current season.

Missed 6 games with a lower-body injury (aggravated groin) in January 2014.

Again, Luongo's injury history is fairly normal for that of a modern butterfly-style NHL goaltender. The main area of concern again is the groin which was injured earlier this season. Shawn Matthias who was acquired by the Canucks in exchange for Luongo, has a fairly unremarkable injury history besides missing 23 games with a broken right ankle from February to March 2011 (also missed an additional 4 games after that with a right ankle injury).

Last season, the Capitals traded away one of their most touted prospects, Filip Forsberg, last season for Martin Erat from the Nashville Predators. The Capitals hoped Erat would provide an offensive post headed into the playoffs, however, his time with the Capitals proved disappointing. Erat only scored 3 points (1 goal) in 9 regular season games with the Capitals last season, adding no points in 4 playoff games. This season, Erat only scored 1 goal and added 23 assists in 53 games played. Erat is a 32 year old veteran winger, with this season being his 12th in the NHL. His injury history is as follows:

Missed 1 game with a shoulder injury in March 2004.

Missed 2 games with a hip flexor injury in January 2006.

Missed 1 game with a rib injury in November 2006.

Missed 2 games with a hip flexor injury injury in January 2007.

Missed last 11 games of the 2006-2007 regular season with a sprained left knee.

Missed 2 playoff games in 2007 with a right leg injury.

Missed 2 games with a neck injury in December 2007.

Missed 2 games with back spasms in February 2008.

Missed 3 games with an undisclosed injury in November 2008.

Missed 2 games with a groin injury in March 2009.

Missed the last 6 games of the 2008-2009 regular season with a broken leg.

Missed 3 games with a lower body injury in November 2009.

Missed 4 games with a knee injury in January 2010.

Missed 1 game with a lower body injury in March 2010.

Missed 1 game with back spasms in October 2010.

Missed 4 games with an undisclosed upper body injury in November 2010.

Missed 9 games with an upper body injury from December to January of the 2010-2011 season.

Missed the last 2 games of the regular season and last 2 playoff games with an upper body injury in the 2010-2011 season.

Missed 8 games with an upper-body injury in October 2011.

Missed 2 games with an upper-body injury in March 2012.

Missed 1 game with a foot injury in February 2013.

Missed 3 games with a lower body injury in April 2013.

Missed last 3 2013 playoff games with a left wrist injury.

Missed 1 game with a lower body injury in March of this year.

Goodness, that's a laundry list of injuries. All seem relatively minor with the exception of the broken leg in 2009.

MARCH 5 TRADES:

TO NEW YORK RANGERS: MARTIN ST. LOUIS (FOR RYAN CALLAHAN, A 2014 CONDITIONAL 2ND ROUND PICK AND A 2015 1ST ROUND PICK)

In perhaps the biggest trade of the 2014 NHL trade deadline, the Rangers acquired future HOFer Martin St. Louis from the Lightning at a hefty price. The 38 year old St. Louis has enjoyed a remarkable, long (in his 15th NHL season) NHL career with very few injuries. St. Louis held an incredible ironman streak, playing 499 consecutive games until suffering facial and sinus fractures caused by a practice shot from teammate Dominic Moore caused him to miss five games. This season, St. Louis is scoring at his usual torrid pace with 62 points (29 goals) in 65 games with a 51% CF% at 5-on-5. Let's admire his lack of injuries:

Missed 1 game with a bruised heel in November 2001.

Missed 26 games with a broken leg from January to April of the 2001-2002 season.

Missed the last two games of the 2001-2002 season with a mild concussion.

Missed 2 games with a broken finger in November 2005.

Missed 5 games with facial and sinus fractures in December 2011.

Ryan Callahan, on the other hand, hasn't had as much luck as St. Louis with injuries in his 8 NHL season career. Playing a defensive center role, the former Rangers captain blocks a lot of shots and takes and gives out a lot of hits. Callahan played in 45 games for the Rangers this season, scoring 25 points (11 goals) with a 50.8% CF% at 5-on-5. His injury history is as follows:

Missed 16 games with a sprained knee from October to November in the 2007-2008 season.

Missed 4 games with a right leg injury in April 2010.

Missed 1 game with a neck injury in November 2010.

Missed 19 games from December to February of the 2010-2011 season with a broken left hand.

Missed the last 2 games of the regular season and 5 playoff games in 2011 with a broken right leg.

Missed 6 games with a bruised foot in March 2012.

Missed 3 games with a shoulder injury in February 2013.

Missed 1 game with a shoulder injury in October 2013.

Missed 7 games with a broken thumb from October to November 2013.

Missed 9 games from December to January of this season with a sprained MCL.

After years of rumors that he would be traded at the deadline, winger Ales Hemsky was finally traded. The 11-year veteran had 26 points in 55 games with the Oilers this season and a 47.5% CF% at 5-on-5. Like Erat, Hemsky has a fairly long injury history:

One game missed:

Abdominal Injury (January 2003)

Shoulder Injury (January 2007)

Right Shoulder Injury (March 2007)

Knee Injury (April 2008)

Bruised Right Foot (March 2013)

Foot Injury (April 2013)

Rib Injury (December 2013)

Two games missed:

Abdominal injury (February 2003)

Knee injury (December 2007)

Shoulder Injury (November 2009)

Three - Five games missed:

Abdominal injury, four games (February 2003)

Knee injury, five games (January 2008)

Leg Injury, three games (December 2010)

Concussion, four games (February, 2011)

Five - Ten games missed:

Right shoulder injury, 8 games (December 2006)

Right shoulder injury, 8 games (March 2007)

Concussion, 10 games (January 2009)

Groin injury, 10 games (December 2010)

Foot injury, 8 games (April 2013)

Bruised Ankle, 7 games (February 2014)

Ten + games (missing remainder of regular season):

Left Shoulder Surgery, 57 games (November 2009-April 2010)

Shoulder injury, 18 games (March -April 2011)

Hemsky has a very long injury history, at some points quite severe. It's troubling that he has multiple shoulder injuries and concussions that have caused significant missed time. He hasn't had as many injuries recently, however, so Senators fans shouldn't be too worried, considering they acquired Hemsky as just a rental.

Ruutu, a 31 year old, 9-year NHL veteran had only 16 points in 57 games for the Hurricanes but had a 50.5% CF% at 5-on-5 and 5 points in 6 Olympic games to help Team Finland to a bronze medal in Sochi. Ruutu has battled injuries during his career, including a few long-term ones that may be of some concern:

One - Three games missed:

Knee injury, 1 game (October, 2007)

Groin injury, 3 games (October, 2008)

Undisclosed lower body injury, 2 games (May 2009)

Undisclosed lower body injury, 1 game (November 2009)

Undisclosed lower body injury, 2 games (April 2013)

Five - Ten games missed:

Back injury, 5 games (October 2005)

Sprained left knee, 10 games (October 2006)

Right shoulder surgery, missed last 9 regular season games (April 2010)

Halak, 28, was recently acquired by the Sabres in the Ryan Miller deal and immediately flipped to the Caps for the younger and contract-controlled Neuvirth. Halak had a .917SV% (.928 EV SV%) in 40 GP for the Blues, one of the NHL's best teams. The Slovakian goaltender's injury history is as follows:

With a multitude of injuries at the forward position and looking for depth heading into the playoffs, the Penguins added 30 year old center/winger Marcel Goc. Goc had 23 points in 62 games with the Panthers. His injury history from his 10 year career is as follows:

One - Three games missed:

Back injury, 3 games (January 2007)

Back injury, 2 games (October 2008)

Undisclosed upper body injury, 1 game (February 2011)

Undisclosed lower body injury, 3 games (February 2012)

Five - Ten games missed:

Undisclosed upper body injury, 5 games (October - November 2008)

Left leg injury, 5 games (March - April 2009)

Undisclosed upper body injury, 7 games (February 2010)

Separated shoulder, 6 games (October - November 2010)

Groin injury, 6 games (January 2013)

Ten + games missed:

Back spasms, 12 games (November - December 2007)

Undisclosed lower body injury, 14 games (February - March 2009)

Undisclosed upper body injury, 36 games - last 24 games of regular season and 12 playoff games (February - May 2011)

Head injury (concussion), 22 games (November 2011 - January 2012)

With Goc's history, you have to worry about the groin injury and shoulder history. Both could be occurring injuries. Also the 22 games missed in 2011 was due to a concussion, a history which is always worrisome.

Gaborik's injury history definitely raises his concerns (especially for teams considering to sign him as a UFA this summer). Her has had multiple groin issues, which is not good for a player who relies on his skating ability and is also getting up there in age. The multiple hip flexor injuries could be a concern but he has not had hip issues since his surgery in 2009. His surgically repaired shoulder is a cause for concern, especially if his broken collarbone was on the same side/arm. Gaborik's concussion history is something that's always scary for teams as well.

Matt Moulson is an iron man. He's awesome; takes a beating in front of the net every night, scores greasy goals and yet only missed one game in 4 seasons with the Islanders due to the flu and 4 this season while a member of the Sabres due to an upper body injury. Not much to write about here.

TO PITTSBURGH: LEE STEMPNIAK (FOR A 2014 3RD ROUND PICK)
Another depth forward acquired by the Penguins, the 31 year old Stempniak only had 23 points in 52 games with Calgary but is a solid veteran who should help the team that lacks depth down the stretch. The 9 year veteran's injury history is as follows:

The 33 year old veteran had spent all 14 years of his NHL career with the Nashville Predators up until the trade deadline. With 40 points in 62 games with the Preds, Legwand is still a producing Center, something very valuable to the Red Wings as injuries have decimated their forward core. Legwand has gotten some injuries in his career however, let's review his history:

One - Five games missed

Hand injury, 3 games (December 2006)

Hand injury, 1 game (March 2007)

Undisclosed upper body injury, 1 game (January 2008)

Leg injury, 3 games (January 2008)

Undisclosed upper body injury, 4 games (November 2011)

Five - Ten games missed

Back injury. last 7 regular season games (April 2002)

Knee injury, 5 games (April 2006)

Cheekbone injury, last 9 games of regular season (April 2009)

Undisclosed lower body injury, 9 games (November - December 2010)

Undisclosed lower body injury, 9 games (December 2010)

Ten - Twenty games missed

Back injury, 12 games (February - March 2002)

Broken collarbone, last 18 games of regular season (March - April 2003)

Foot injury, 15 games (March - April 2008)

Twenty + games missed

Knee injury/surgery, 32 games (December 2005 - February 2006)

Nothing really screams out at me from Legwand's history. There seems to be no residual effects from his knee surgery or his other major injuries as he hasn't suffered relapses. Legwand hasn't been injured this season and played in all 48 games last season with the Predators, so Red Wings fans should be relieved they have a solid option as their team heads down the stretch.